This book is set in Northern Ireland after the troubles.
It is a dark and gritty novel. The characters are well written.
The story is compelling.
A great book

Thank you for the advanced copy and sorry for the delay in reading.
This was a great first novel and I would like to read more by this author.
This was very different to what I have read before and I really enjoyed.
The plot keeps you thinking to try to work out what is going to happened next. The book was well paced with a good plot and characters.
Definitely recommended

Fabulous thriller that kept me eagerly turning the pages!! Fantastic characters and plot, could not put it down.

Readers in the United States may be under the illusion that the Troubles in Northern Ireland ended simply because they don't highlight our news broadcasts anymore. In Blood Will Be Born, author Gary Donnelly shows us that it isn't true. There are too many still living from those days, too many who like their little crime syndicates, too many children who will never forget the wrongs done their families in times past.

The story is a steamroller with a stellar cast. John Fryer, a patient in a psychiatric hospital who is tortured by a beast he calls The Moley. Christopher Moore, a young man who should be in a psychiatric hospital but is free to begin a bloodthirsty rampage. Cecil Moore, a crime boss who enjoys his position and doesn't really want the past forgotten because it's what gave him his standing in the community. It's an excellent cast of bad guys, but the good guys are even better.

DI Owen Sheen, part of the Murder Squad of London's Metropolitan Police, has secured a three-month break to work on the Serious Historical Offences Team, a move which he thinks will be the perfect cover for him to find the man who killed his beloved brother (and nearly killed him). Whenever he and his partner stumble across a clue that could be related to his personal quest, Sheen tends to get tunnel vision, and readers really don't know if he's going to go off the rails or not. His partner, DC Aoife (EE-fuh) McCusker, is brand new to the Serious Crimes squad and eager to make a good impression. She's sharp and observant, and it's obvious that she's going to make an excellent detective, but she's got some baggage that could easily ruin her career. (In fact, it's Aoife's baggage that raised the one annoying little question in my mind that won't go away. Her blackmailer had plenty of time to carry through with his threat. Why didn't he?)

Blood Will Be Born moves from one point of view to another as the story progresses, letting readers know what's going on in the characters' minds, but we're still kept guessing to the end. With this high-powered start to a new series, I'm certainly looking forward to the next book.

This is book 1 in this new series, and what a debut it is! Early on the reader can sense what is going to happen, but like a train wreck you can see from your front porch, you just CANT turn away, and will find yourself rapidly turning the pages, til you see if the end is what you think it will be (surprise- it just might NOT be what you think!). Full of red herrings, and a history lesson or two, this police procedural does double duty as a thriller, and will eagerly have you asking when the next entry will be in the series! Don't miss this one!

A compelling crime thriller Blood Will Be Born is the first book in DI Sheen and the first book I have read by this author. An edge of your seat read that kept me engaged throughout I enjoyed the dynamics and the delivery of this read and look forward to exploring more.

How far would you go to get revenge? DI Owen Sheen has transferred to Belfast so that he can track down the man that killed his brother all those years. He has been warned to tread lightly but everything changes when he is partnered with DC Aoife McCusker as he is about to be on the trail of his killer. An old woman has been murdered in her home but the worst thing is that she is the mother of Cecil Moore, a man many want dead. Who would kill her this way? Can they find all the answers that they need before even more bodies start appears? Sheen has just found out that the man he is looking for is the same one that has something to do with the recent murders. But who is his partner? And why is he intent on destroying the peace? Will they be able to figure this out together without giving away their secrets? A great read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley & the publisher’s in exchange for my honest review.

Gary Donnelly is an exciting new author and this his debut novel kept me turning the pages into the small hours of the morning.
Set in Belfast with the history of the troubles as a backdrop DI Owen Sheen joins the PSNI from the Met to investigate cold cases but before starting his new role he becomes involved in a murder investigation with DS Aoife McCusker.
This fast paced police thriller is absolutely the best book I've read for months and I can't wait for the sequel.
Thoroughly recommend it to all thriller readers.

Really well written. It is gritty and dark and full of strong characters. This is a compelling read set in Belfast which is full of action. You can tell that this is written by someone who has lived in Belfast. The characters and the storyline are believable. It was great reading about a city that I know really well.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I normally find books set in Northern Ireland very interesting especially with the deep-rooted animosity that still exist between the Catholics and Protestants so this was a fascinating read for me.

It's the story of Di Owen Sheen who takes a 3 month break from his job at the Met to help out at the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He is set on finding out who was responsible for the death of his brother. Throw in the mix DC Aoife McCuster who is has just started with the team and who is struggling with her own issues as well as a crime boss who's mother is murdered and an escapee from a mental institution and you have a very interesting storyline.

Well written and worth the read.

Thank you to Netgally and Allison & Busby for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This is a very powerful and believable crime thriller set in Northern Ireland. It is well written and filled with interesting characters, fast paced and very realistic. I loved the character of Aofie and the relationship with Sheen. A thought provoking read which offers an insight into Belfast history and the legacy of The Troubles. This has to be a 5* from me. Read the book, you won't be disappointed.

An intriguing, atmospheric, engrossing and entertaining read that kept me hooked till the last page.
I love the setting, the atmosphere and the well thought cast of characters.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Blood Will Be Born is the first book by Gary Donnelly and the first in the DI Owen Sheen series.

The book is set in Northern Ireland with Sheen returning to the land of his birth following a transfer to the PSNI from the Met but also to settle a debt.

The storyline is action packed and moves along at a rapid pace with a long list of decidedly unsavoury characters.

Sheen is a well created character but definitely has scope to grow in future books that I look forward to reading

Recommended

Superb violent thriller set in Belfast with crimes past and present for the attention of a new character DI Owen Sheen. Sent to Belfast from the Met to head a historical crimes unit he is initially given to a current murder investigation partnering a newly promoted female DS also with history. A rollercoaster ride of violence ensues with a vicious crimelord involved, an ex IRA hitman sprung from a mental hospital plus a deranged killer related to the crimelord all involved. Beautifully written this promises to be another great series!

With thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC.

As debut novels go, this is right up there.
Extremely well written, brilliant characters and a hard hitting story that is all too believable.

DI Owen Sheen arrives in Belfast from the Met in London to join the Historical Crimes division, but before he can start he's thrown headlong into a murder investigation.
He has history of his own in Belfast, having been born there and seeing his brother blown up there by the IRA.

He teams up with DC Aoife McCusker , herself new to the murder team and investigating her first murder.

On the other side of the equation we have two absolute mad men in the form of former IRA man John Fryer, recently escaped from a secure Psychiatric unit and Christopher Moore, a man with more mental health issues than most.

This is a bloodbath of a book, murders are plentiful and gruesome.

The main protagonists are well fleshed out with plenty of back story, even the support cast are interesting and well rounded.

An exciting new voice in the genre.
Really looking forward to the seeing where Donnelly takes these characters next.

Very well written and gritty. Violent though - I guess the author is trying to reflect that Northern Ireland is more violent after the Troubles and he succeeded.

This is an engrossing story set in Belfast where the aftershocks of the Troubles still echo in the lives of those affected. Some want justice, some want peace & others just want to forget.

John Fryer wants a bit of all three. He used to be a hard man for the IRA but is haunted by a young man he “disappeared” in 1976. Now he spends his days in a psychiatric facility, battling mental illness & memories.

Christopher Moore is a young man bent on revenge. His sin was being born to a Protestant father & a Catholic mother. Shunned by his paternal family as a child, he’s back in Belfast to make them pay.

DI Owen Sheen was just a boy when his brother was killed by a bomb. The family fled to England where he eventually became a detective with the Met’s Murder Squad. His childhood left him with few memories & a need for justice. When a chance to lead the PSNI’s Serious Historical Offences Team comes along, he grabs it. He has one week before the job begins & he plans to spend it searching for the elusive bomber.

DC Aoife McCusker has finally landed her dream job with Serious Crimes in Belfast. She made big mistakes in the past but is determined to succeed. So she’s less than thrilled to be assigned babysitting duties. Some British DI has landed in town & she’s to deliver him to their latest crime scene. An elderly woman was murdered in her home. That’s bad enough but what no one realizes is her death will reignite old grudges & trigger a return to sectarian violence.

What follows is a gritty & bloody tale set in a city where peace is a fragile & transient thing. Each of these characters has been molded by their pasts & as their live intersect, the resulting chain reaction kicks off a turf war. As the cops race to find a killer, there are others who see an opportunity to exploit the dead for their own gain. With separate groups vying for control, truth can be a slippery thing & it soon becomes clear it’s not who is guilty that matters. It’s who gets blamed.

Shifty politicians, creepy criminals, hard working cops & the truly psychotic…they’re all part of a large cast. The 4 characters listed above take turns as narrator & it’s a clever choice. How you react is subtly manipulated by that character’s version of events & you might find your self sympathizing with them when you know you should be horrified.

The one false note for me was the romantic angle. Most of the story takes place over the span of one week & it felt rushed & unrealistic, especially given the personal history of one character. I thought it could have been left out entirely as there is more than enough to hold your interest & since this is book #1, there’s plenty of time for that to develop later.

Belfast is a living, breathing character in its own right & provides an atmospheric backdrop for this fast paced story. The action is nonstop & you wonder who will be left standing at the end. If you’re not familiar with the history of the Troubles and don’t know your UDA from your RUC, no worries. There’s a helpful glossary at the end that breaks down all parties involved.

I have a particular soft spot for crime fiction based in "modern" Northern Ireland and here we have an excellent new entrant. Solid likeable characters and gripping plotline. Great start looking forward to hearing more from DI Sheen and A life (hopefully).

What a debut!

I could hardly catch my breath at some bits with the interweaving story keeping me hooked.

It is well written and makes you want to know more about each story. The way it unfolded was surprising yet believable and the characters were enjoyable.

Can’t wait for more!

Fantastic debut novel. Love reading books about my native Belfast this was extremely well written. Enjoyed the characters and the complex plot. Eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
This book travels from the past to the present showing how harrowing the times could be and how it affected people minds and everyday living.
A*